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What we eat for optimal performance and health

Lindsey and I are both certified in Plant-based Nutrition from the Center for Nutrition Studies at Cornell. Lindsey also recieved an M.S. in Holistic Nutrition for Sports Performance. We are both accomplished runners with optimal health and focus on a way of eating that helps us absolutely thrive. We would like to share with you some of the foods we eat so you can achieve optimal health and thrive as well.

What Lindsey and I eat has a huge influence on our abundant energy levels, running performance and overall health. Dialing in your nutrition is by far the best thing you can do to improve your health, lose weight and increase your energy. What we eat also improves our concentration, focus and ambition. We have both been passionate about nutrition and health for over 10 years and have experimented with many ways of eating. We have found what works optimally not only for us but for so many others as well.

We do not believe in strict diets, calorie restriction or bogus products and weight-loss shakes or supplements. Lindsey and I both eat a 100% whole foods, plant-based diet. ‘Diet’ in this sense means a way of eating not weight loss or calorie restriction. More specifically, our diet is high carbohydrate and low fat where 70-80% of our calories come from carbohydrates, 10-15% protein and 10-15% fat.

Damian has recently been selected as a Great Vegan Athlete (with the likes of Carl Lewis, 9-time Olympic gold medalist). Check out his feature!

What does a whole foods, plant-based diet mean? Think of lots of fruit, vegetables, sweet potatoes, wild rice, quinoa, oatmeal, nuts, seeds and other delicious and nutritious foods. That’s it! No packaged foods, no oils, no powders, and no animal products including meat, dairy, cheese or fish.

We eat a lot of smoothies and everything we eat is incredibly tasty and energizing. We have found this way of eating to be very easy, quick and give us almost instant results (more energy, better performance and faster recovery). Damian doesn’t like dark leafy greens but has found that he can put a lot of kale, chard or spinach in a fruit smoothie and not even taste the greens.

On a whole foods, plant-based diet you NEED to eat a lot. Plants are generally low calorie but nutritionally dense foods. If you restrict how much you eat, you will fail. Also, you must focus on whole foods and not processed foods (such as oils, breads or cereals).

When you give this way of eating a try, you may feel nearly instant benefits (more energy, better digestion, mental clarity). Remember, at first you do not need to be ‘perfect’. Do your best and play around with the whole foods that you enjoy. There are many ways to optimize your diet including food combining for optimal digestion and other tricks to achieve results. Listening to your body and how it responds is very important and you will learn what works best for you.

Eating whole foods is a diet of abundance and not restriction. You can thrive and have endless energy like we do.The key for being successful with nutrition is finding the whole foods that you absolutely love and doing your best to stay motivated and on track. That is why a nutrition coach can be very valuable in helping you achieve your goals. If you have any questions about nutrition, please feel free to ask. Better nutrition has changed our lives and we hope it changes yours as well.